Knicks-Bobcats Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLOPosted Dec 14 2009 8:28PM

The roster is essentially the same as it was in November, but the New York Knicks are far from the team that struggled through the first month of the season.

The surging Knicks look to extend their season-high winning streak to five games and avoid a fourth straight loss to the host Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night.

After going 3-14 during the first month of the season, New York (8-15) is 5-1 in December and has won four in a row after beating New Orleans 113-96 on Friday. It's the longest winning streak for the Knicks since a six-game run Jan. 2-13, 2006.

"We were definitely in a deep hole, and now we've put ourselves back in the opportunity go get into the playoffs, which is our goal,'' said guard Chris Duhon, who had 22 points and nine assists against the Hornets. "We're definitely back in it. We just have to keep going.''

In order to do so, the Knicks must snap a three-game losing streak against the Bobcats (9-13), including two straight defeats in Charlotte. The Bobcats beat New York 102-100 in double overtime at home Oct. 30.

Charlotte could face a stiffer test this time against a Knicks team averaging 109.3 points and shooting 49.4 percent this month, while holding opponents to an average of 100.2 points in its six December games.

"Our energy is better and we're helping better on defense," said forward David Lee, who had 17 points and 14 rebounds in Friday's win.

Al Harrington scored a team-high 28 points and Wilson Chandler added 20 as New York shot 55.1 percent against the Hornets. That effort gave the Knicks their second straight road win to improve to 4-7 away from Madison Square Garden.

"Everybody hit big shots, one after another,'' New York coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We were moving the ball really well. We're just playing really well right now.''

Harrington is averaging 23.3 points in his last four games, but 15.0 on 38.1 percent shooting in his last seven versus the Bobcats, who are coming off their second consecutive loss, 98-97 in overtime at Dallas on Saturday.

"We gave ourselves a chance to win against a terrific team on the road," coach Larry Brown told the Bobcats' official Web site. "I guess that's all you can hope for."

Charlotte's 90.3 points per game rank near the bottom of the league, but the Bobcats are scoring 104.0 during their win streak in this series.

Wallace is averaging 20.6 points and 14.4 boards in his last five games overall, and 20.2 points with 10.8 rebounds in his last five against New York.

He had 18 points with 15 rebounds and Felton added 22 points against the Knicks in October, when both clubs shot less than 40 percent from the field overall, and combined to go 12 of 54 from 3-point range.

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Bobcats big fourth quarter snaps Knicks win streak

CHARLOTTE (NBA.com exclusive) -- Boris Diaw and the Charlotte Bobcats made the most of the fourth quarter. The Bobcats erased an eight-point fourth quarter deficit and downed the visiting New York Knicks 94-87 Tuesday.

"That was the best win of the season for me," Charlotte coach Larry Brown said. "We were dead. We were acting like a bunch of spoiled children trying to wish and hope our way back into the game and had an amazing fourth quarter."

The Charlotte victory ended New York's four-game winning streak and improved the Bobcats to 9-3 at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Diaw, who saw just seven minutes of action in the first three quarters due to foul trouble, showed what a valuable and versatile player he was with a six-point, seven-rebound and two-assist quarter for Charlotte in which he played all 12 minutes.

"The word for tonight is growth," Stephen Jackson said. "We just found a way to win and that's how we have to start playing. We have to grow. Tonight was a sign of growth for us because we found a way to win a game we needed."

Charlotte's defense and rebounding proved to be pivotal factors in the final period as well. The Knicks were 5-for-18 in the final quarter with three turnovers and were out rebounded 15-4 by the Bobcats.

"We were turning the ball over too quickly and shot the ball too quickly at times," Brown said, "but in the fourth quarter we defended like crazy and gave them just one shot. We got outrebounded in the first three quarters, but beat them there in the fourth."

The Bobcats got as close as one with five minutes to play on a three from Stephen Jackson. However Charlotte continued to have trouble taking care of the ball and turned the ball over on three of the next four possessions.

New York took advantage and appeared to be in control late in the fourth quarter after a Jared Jeffries dunk put the lead at 85-79. However the Knicks were never able to salt Charlotte away.

"It's frustrating because we had the game," said New York coach Mike D'Antoni. "We win four in a row and we had a chance to win five, I would think that's probably the most important thing in the world at that point and we didn't play like it was."

Jackson converted a three-point play for three of his nine fourth quarter points on a lay-up to kick start what would become a 15-2 run for the Bobcats.

Flip Murray, who had struggled to find his shooting touch in December, drained a three from the right wing to tie the game at 85 with 1:57 to play.

"He's a bright guy," Brown said of Murray. "I told him do what you do. I never want to take a guy out for taking good shots. I learned a long time ago that they don't miss them on purpose and that somewhere along the line he'll make the big shots. That's what he does. He's got confidence."

The Bobcats then took the lead for the first time since the first half on a driving bucket from Raymond Felton. New York's Wilson Chandler stopped the 8-0 run with a lay-in of his own, but Felton countered to give the lead back to Charlotte with under a minute to play.

"Flip (Murray) couldn't make a shot and he hits a huge three. Stephen (Jackson) couldn't make a shot. He hit a huge three. Raymond (Felton) had a couple of turnovers and then he gets two huge baskets. It just seemed like everybody contributed," Brown said of his team's late comeback.

The Knicks closed out the game with two turnovers while allowing the Bobcats to add five more to their lead.

New York entered the game knowing they would be a little short-handed with leading scorer Al Harrington limited due to flu-like symptoms. Harrington scored just 11 points, well below his season average of 20.1 per game, on 4-for-13 shooting including just two points in the final quarter.

The Knicks got strong contributions from their starters with all five scoring in double figures, but their bench players were only able to muster two points in the second half and faded down the stretch.

"I think a couple of guys were under the weather a little bit," D'Antoni said of his team's sluggishness. "I kind of felt like we got heavy at the end. That could have been it, and I hope it was."